


Come Back to Me

by a_curious_aquarius



Category: Labyrinths of Astoria (Visual Novel)
Genre: Angst, But it's okay, F/M, Fluff, Gods reincarnate, Hades/MCs twin children, Mourning, Reunion Sex, Smut, Spoiler alert: Hades dies, also OCs exist, so just bear with me, so no one really dies lol, whom I created before season 4 came out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-08
Updated: 2017-07-08
Packaged: 2018-11-29 06:06:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11434725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_curious_aquarius/pseuds/a_curious_aquarius
Summary: Your bed no longer smelled like him, no longer smelled sharp and masculine and heady and slightly sweet - the lingering hint of pomegranate. There were no longer green smoothies pre-prepared in the fridge, his suit and tie were hung neatly in the back of the closet, and his paperwork had been neatly sorted and filed for whenever he returned.But he still lingered everywhere, every corner of your life. And with every passing year, that fact eventually became a comfort.(He isn’t gone. He’s coming home. He’s coming home to me.)





	Come Back to Me

**Author's Note:**

> So… this got insanely out of control. This was just a quick idea I had in my head, and it became the biggest ball of sadness, angst, sweetness, and love. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
> 
> (also I wrote this before season 4 and Osiris, so I had created Hades/MC's twins - Zoe and Nikomedes).

You would remember that moment in agonizing, flawless detail for the rest of your immortal life.

He was nearby, as he always was, his Aura constantly intermingling with yours in an intimate swirl of support and reassurance. Over the past couple centuries, you and your husband had perfected this connection, this steady dance of give and take in battle, in discourse, in bed, in life. He was a secure presence you rarely went without, a solid pillar you could always lean on, the invisible shadows of his spirit eternally melded with your golden glow.

The two of you were one in all but body, and you could always feel it. Feel _him._

Today was no different.

The darkest shades of his Aura darted forward, wrapping around the ankle of the closest of the Keres - Disease - and jerked her off of her feet. The monster screeched with surprise, her voice shrill and enraged as she landed soundly onto her back. Through him, you could feel the presence of another Keres charging from behind, though your husband remained completely focused on Disease writhing in his grip. It was a deliberate action, one that spoke of his implicit trust in you.

In an instant, you had thrown your golden energy behind you and Hades, letting it sweep around your bodies into a defensive bubble. You could sense the heavy impact as Accident slammed into your shield, sending a fleeting feeling of satisfaction through you. _Too slow._

Thanatos was raging before you, trying to fight off the tendrils of purple and gold Aura you sent his way, but he was failing to block most of the attacks. Deep blue welts formed on his deadened skin, some oozing a viscous violet liquid that could only equate to blood.

Moments later, he had fallen to his knees with a snarl, the anger in his eyes dulling as he clung to consciousness.

“Not… again…” he hissed lowly, his mouth pulling into a grimace. “The Keres… should have-”

He coughed as your Aura encased him none-too-gently, rooting him to where he had collapsed. Hades was doing the same to the two unconscious Keres, ensuring that they would be detained until the backup H.E.R.A. agents arrived.

You brushed fallen locks of your dark hair off your sweaty forehead, sending a triumphant look to Hades as you steadied your breathing. He shot back a small smile before exhaling sharply, shoulders slumping with an exhaustion you absolutely shared.

“I guess they all need to return to the Underworld, at some point,” you huffed, clenching one of your fists to tighten your Aura. “I’m just glad we could stop Accident and Disease before they did any _real_ damage.”

Hades hummed wearily, a soft sound of agreement. He was looking past you, at Thanatos, with eyebrows furrowed in irritation. Glancing over at the fallen god, you felt a tremor of fear pass through you at the wicked grin twisting his mouth. He held your gaze with his cloudy eyes, the unfathomable emptiness within them threatening to swallow you whole.

You could hear Hades snort with disdain before he spoke again. “Now, I suppose we just need to find Murd-”

A sharp, cold feeling passed through your chest as his words cut short with a sickening gasp, an uneasy nausea rooting in the pit of your stomach seconds later. Your head whipped to the side, to Hades, as his Aura’s grip on you slackened.

In an endless, harrowing moment, your eyes traced the sharp, steely blades of Murder’s claws - cruel metal pierced straight through your husband’s chest. Her other hand rested snugly at the base of his throat, a silent, sinister threat.

With mouth parted in shock, he could only keep his wide, terrified gaze locked with yours. But then, softly, his face relaxed as he read your horrified, crumbling expression. He gave you a small, serene smile - still trying to comfort, to console you, even as his Aura dimmed towards oblivion.

Murder’s arm jerked back, without remorse, and you could only scream.

* * *

You were inconsolable the first few weeks, an agonizing mess of sobbing and screaming into the emptiness of your estate until your throat was raw. Rapidly, you flew through the seven stages of grief, each one draining you more than the last as you ached to reach acceptance.

The first days were unbearable: sleeping in cold sheets that smelled like him - heady, sharp, masculine with the slightest hint of sweetness. Pomegranates. Your home together felt smothering, every corner of the estate promising that he would be home any moment. His paperwork scattered on the desk in your bedroom, green smoothies pre-prepared in the fridge, suit and tie hung on the bathroom door in wait of its owner… everything screamed that this wasn’t real, that he wasn’t gone.

A part of you knew this wasn’t permanent, of course. He would be reincarnated, as immortal souls did. You had seen it happen quite a few times in the past couple centuries, in fact. Hermes had fallen in the first fight the Pantheon had with Thanatos. Zeus had died in a petty skirmish a century into your godhood, and Ares had died _thrice -_ though he  _was_ the God of War.

But this was the first time you had felt this separation, this _disconnect_ from Hades, from your other half in over two hundred years of marriage, and you had _no idea_ how long you would have to live without him. It was unbearable, to say the least. Soul-breaking, devastating.

Persephone was there for you from day one. She was heartbroken, as many of the other members of the Pantheon were, but she had been through this before, even with Hades. And what were a couple decades without him to immortals? A couple blinks of the eye, and he would be home again.

But you… you still felt the passing of time strongly with how young you were, experiencing it similarly to how you did as a mortal. You would have to wait _years_ \- and it would be excruciating, drawn-out torture.

When you allowed yourself to sink into these thoughts, you would drown, drown, _drown_ until Persephone couldn’t do more than hold you as you fell apart, your wrecked throat barely able to release the sobs that accumulated in your chest.

“It’s alright, honey,” she would murmur. “He’ll come back to you. He’ll always come back.”

Selene and Helios visited once or twice, not saying much but attempting to fill the emptiness of your home. It dulled the ache minutely, knowing that these reckless Titans had come to care for you and Hades so much.

The three guardians of the Underworld stayed with you for a solid three days, all of them practically as torn apart as you. They had never been through this before, either, and they seemed to need the comfort of your understanding, of your shared grief.

Cerb had caught you weeping late one night, clutching one of Hades’ dress shirts close to your chest as you fought to catch your breath. Tears were immediately in his amber eyes, and he dropped to his knees in front of where you sat. He simply pulled you against his large body, enveloping you in his large embrace.

You couldn’t tell if you were shaking, or if he was. Perhaps you both were.

Both of the twins finally made it to Olympus three weeks after the fact, the two of them barging into their childhood home like hurricanes made of grief and broken hearts.

“Oh, ma,” were the first words Zoe said, her gaze examining the state you were in. She let you curl against her small frame - your sweet, sweet girl with her father’s eyes and the softness of your face.

Niko wrapped you both up seconds later, his carefree, jovial voice dampened by despair. “If I know baba, he’s fighting to get back to you as soon as he can.”

You thought you had cried as much as you physically could, but you were wrong. New tears stung your eyes, and you let them fall into your daughter’s shirt. Niko just clutched at the two of you tighter, acutely aware that your family was painfully incomplete.

* * *

It was three excruciating years until they found his reincarnation.

The Top Tier Gods were gathered together, discussing the state of the world and the godly monsters. You were attentive, of course - this was part of your _job_ , and you had always been a workaholic.

But being in this great hall had never gotten any easier, for your body was always dimly aware of the empty seat beside you, draped with luxurious purple cloths, an obvious symbol of mourning.

Thankfully, your brothers and sisters were gracious and understanding. Every once in a while, when despair would grip your soul relentlessly, you could feel a wisp of one of their Auras, a comforting warmth that reminded you: _you are not alone._

Surprisingly, it was Zeus, more often than not - his sharp, electric Aura almost serving to jolt you with a bit of energy. He had become somewhat fond of you over the past few hundred years - _you,_  not Hera - especially when the twins were born. He had wanted to be distant, irritated, estranged. But despite your past, you still wanted him to be a part of your family, as he was meant to be.

And, somehow, you managed to draw him in.

It was this day that you felt that wisp of his energy, a soft tingle that pulled you from drowning, drowning, _drowning._ You vaguely processed that Hermes was saying your name, his eyes alight with excitement and expectation.

The guider of souls, the happy hummingbird, had found your husband’s reincarnation.

The Pantheon decided to wait seventy more years before approaching the human man, allowing him the peace to lead the better part of a normal, human life. Of course, this just meant more waiting for you and your ragtag family, but you understood the gods’ desire to wait, even if you were bitter about it.  

You had been human once, after all, with the ultimate decision of godhood resting at your fingertips - even if the gods hadn’t been as… _patient_ with you and Hera. But it was better for the human this way, and you knew it.

However, this just left you more time to miss Hades, your husband, your other half. Although you were able to push the agonizing aching the back of your mind after a couple decades, it was always there, reminding you that you were incomplete without him.

You had developed an irritating nervous habit over the years, your fingers twisting at Hades’ wedding ring that was placed loosely on your thumb. Whenever you missed him, whenever you ached, you spun it over and over, willing it to be the hands of time, a physical manifestation of the years you wished to speed up.

Your bed no longer smelled like him, no longer smelled sharp and masculine and heady and slightly sweet - the lingering hint of pomegranate. There were no longer green smoothies pre-prepared in the fridge, and his paperwork had been neatly sorted and filed for whenever he returned.

But he still lingered everywhere, every corner of your life. And with every passing year, that fact eventually became a comfort.

_He isn’t gone. He’s coming home. He’s coming home to me._

* * *

Troy Baker was his name, a sweet seventy-two year old man with an ex-wife, two children, and five grandchildren. He was a retired Navy C.O. with decent retirement pay, and he was content.

When you approached him, he was slow to believe, at first. It wasn’t unusual for completely uninformed humans to rest in their disbelief, their denial. Mr. Baker, however, seemed to slowly accept the reality of his fate, and even went so far to call it his _destiny_ . You would have never _forced_ him to go through with it, after all, but his willingness was nothing less than a miracle to you.

You only had to wait a few more months until he was ready to begin the ceremony, his eyes alight with the love he received from his family in his final days as himself.

_Thank you, thank you,_  left your mouth repeatedly, in a tearful rush, when he finally made it to Olympus. He looked at you, really _looked_ at you, despite the weight of your godhood, and murmured, “I’m glad I can help you. I really am.”

The human stood in the middle of the great hall, surrounded by the circle of Top Tier Gods. He had paled slightly, undoubtedly nervous about being consumed by another being and having his soul released. It was a lot to prepare for, if he even could.

And all the gods began, every syllable spoken increasing your anticipating, anxious heart more and more.

Zeus spoke first, in place of his older brother. “Now begin the drawing of life,” he murmured, his voice deeper and more commanding than it normally was. His eyes flickered to you, harboring a warmth that helped settle your nerves. “I am the one who covers all, the warrior king who protects them.”

It was your turn to speak, and you felt your throat constrict. “I am the one who rekindles,” you hum authoritatively, loving the weight of the words on your tongue. You had never been more ready, more overjoyed to say them. “I mend the seams of family and weave generations anew.”

One by one, each god said their words older than you could comprehend. You could feel the anticipation building, the budding glow of Hades’ soul taking root within the human. His eyes became unfocused as his soul was released, brilliant, immortal energy replacing every cell in his body.

A brilliant light consumed him, transformed him into something eternal, something familiar, something-

And then it was over, the purple light receding into the tall, lean form you still knew so well, still knew by heart. You watched as his striking, enchanting eyes blinked once, twice, before their infinite depths landed directly on _you._

Before you could stop yourself, you were running towards him with elated, uncontrolled laughter spilling from your lips. You crashed into his open, willing arms without grace, without poise - but neither of you cared.

He was humming, laughing, murmuring fervid words of thanks in Greek against the shell of your ear. The sound of his voice was almost too much after so long, and you could feel your knees threatening to give out from under you. But before you could collapse, his arms were tight around your waist, lifting you, steading you against his chest. You could feel his heartbeat steadily against you, its out-of-control, elated rhythm beating in time with yours.

“I love you,” you whispered back and forth, feeling your Auras touch - the feeling familiar and all-encompassing and more than you could have ever hoped for.

He drew your lips into a sweet kiss, and you were home.

* * *

Although the Pantheon had desired to have a celebration, Hades refused in that calm, collected way you had missed so much. You had missed _everything_ , truly.

He held you close on the walk home, touching every bit of you that was appropriate in public and murmuring your name just to test that you were real. He seemed so calm, regardless, so peaceful, so at ease. His composure served to settle your soul, soothe the ache of seventy years in a few mere moments.

But then the door to the estate closed behind you, and in a whir of motion, he had pinned you against it. His eyes were dark, darker than your remembered was normal. It was pure, unadulterated _need,_ and it made your breathing hitch dangerously.

You watched his eyes flicker down to your mouth hungrily, and that was all the prompting you needed.

Pressing your lips against his greedily, he returned the kiss with just as much fervor, pressing your body even harder against the wood of the door. You could already feel his body responding with want, with unabashed, raw need, and the feeling made you gasp his name aloud.

His lips trailed away from your lips, kissing the corner of your mouth before starting a burning trail along your jawline, down your neck. He bit down lightly at the curve of your shoulder, pulling a whimper from you that made his hips rock against yours.

“Oh, _gods,_  please tell me this is real,” you murmured as he licked at your skin. “Please be real, oh, _please_ -”

He pulled away from you, thumb wiping away the tears that you didn’t realize had fallen. “My love,” he breathed out, “I’m here. I _am_ here-”

You captured his mouth again, hitching one of your legs around his waist to bring you closer, grant you _friction_. His fingers trailed down your sides, teasing the backs of your thighs before hoisting you up to cling to his body.

It was a blind rush to your bedroom, a mad dash to find somewhere to lay you down, a place he could rut against you, feel your skin, push you to your limit until all you could think was _Hades, Hades, Hades…_

Clothing was shed hastily on the way - buttons popped, skirt torn - _anything_ to feel more skin, to prove that you were finally together again.

When your back hit the sheets, you were both completely bare, skin flushed and raw and wanting. He had that devious smile on his face, that coy look that let you know he wanted to _devour_ you. But behind the lust, behind the mischievous look, there was a hint of desperation, unspoken words of _I need you now, gods, I need you._

Even in oblivion, he had known. He had missed you, ached for you, and the thought made your heart hurt.

“Hades, _please_ _,”_ you groaned as his fingers began to tease you. You couldn’t handle that right now, you _needed-_

And then he was sliding home, filling you completely, making your bodies one flesh in the most intimate way possible. He groaned your name like a prayer, like he was already coming undone at the seams. He probably was.

He steadily shoved into you, his forehead resting against yours as he pushed your hips into the bed over and over, sending sinuous sensations up your spine. Your name continued to spill from his lips in disbelief, in worship, and you couldn’t help but echo his name in response.

It was almost too much to bear, being whole again, feeling all the love and adoration pouring out of him in heavy waves. But you couldn’t get enough of it - you were greedy, love drunk, and you could tell he was just as far gone.

His fingers gripped your hips tightly as his pace increased, his breathing labored and your cries increasing in volume. You were so close, and he was too, your hearts beating wildly out of control as you raced to blissful oblivion - together.

The pleasure clawed up your spine as his thrusts became punishing, your name mixed into Greek phrases you could barely translate in your state of mind.

_“I love you, so much, so much,”_ you could make out, and you repeated the words in kind.

_So much, so much._

And then you were falling, your body succumbing completely to his touch as you shattered into a thousand little pieces. He pinned your hips to his as he spilled inside you, finding purchase on your slick skin as he groaned sweet nothings into the crook of your neck.

He fell upon your chest, his body heavy and solid against you but nothing you couldn’t bear. It was more than comforting, more than enough.

“You came back to me,” you hummed incredulously, more impossible tears falling down your face and disappearing into the hair at your temples.

“I always will, my love,” he hummed back. You kissed the spot over his heart, relishing in the way it beat against your lips. _Mine, mine, mine._ “I always will.”


End file.
